Las Vegas, I have realized, is the Disney World for adults. Only with far more opportunities for alcohol and yet an equal chance to blow money. Unfortunately every time I've been there the past three years it's been for work so I've enjoyed little to none of the 'excitment' Vegas has to offer. Don't worry though, because there's nothing like a planeload of drunks coming home from Vegas to really make one appreciate Vegas in all it's glory.
The tradeshow was good. Not great - but a good 'ol solid good. Lots of interest, lots of folks coming by asking really good questions, and a decent amount of orders written. Less then last year but I really got the sense that there would be some good followup orders from people. All in all I was happy with how it went. And now I'm struggling with the post-tradeshow exhuastion that always just wipes me out. I think I spent most of the weekend in some sort of walking coma - a surprise migrane on Sunday morning didn't help things along - and I still feel like someone took a baseball bat to my brain.
At every show, regardless of how successful it was or wasn't, I've found there's always one or two things I learn that are just priceless. At this show it was the realization that I think I need to put more energy into getting direct sales versus putting all my eggs (so to speak) in the wholesale basket. Everyone loves my stuff but not everyone buys for their store because it's not a right fit. This piggybacks on the consumer show I went to a few months ago where people just loved the stuff and I had some great sales. So I've decided to dip into the decreasing company pocketbooks and ante up for an ad in one of the larger consumer publications in my niche. It will be their winter edition (they're a quarterly) and I managed to negotiate a decent deal with them that is netting me about an $600 savings. However, it's still money out of pocket so I'm hoping it's going to be recouped.
At the same time, I opened up a site on Etsy. If you haven't heard of it, Etsy is the place where some ubertalented folks essentially sell their homemade wares. I can't say I'm as ubertalented as they are but I figured given the very low cost of entry, I would put some stuff up there and see what happens. So now I'm compulsively checking my new little Etsy store and wondering/worrying over that. Anyone have any tips for Etsy? I'm brandnew to that world...
I have another tradeshow in about a week. Normally the two shows have about three weeks inbetween but this year it's literally get home from one and head out to the other. I'm trying to frame it in a positive light that in just a little over a week all business-related travel for the year will be done. Then it'll be time to focus on the holidays - and hopefully holiday sales - in earnest.
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There was an article on Double X (a Slate spinoff) recently about Etsy. I don't think most of it applies to you -- as you have other sources of income for your business & aren't relying on Etsy -- but it has some interesting stats on Etsy sellers and what they likely make off the site. It might help in setting your expectations on revenue from Etsy. http://www.doublex.com/section/work/etsycom-peddles-false-feminist-fantasy
Thanks ockeghem - that was a great article. As the article pointed out, I've definitely noticed that Etsy does put a downward pressure on prices across the catagory. However, I've had one sale thus far and hopefully as we get closer to the holidays I will get some more. If nothing else it's a pretty cheap way of getting the brand name out in front of folks.
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